Another vote for Linux Mint. It's very easy to use and has a good blend of recent software and stability.

As long as you don't pick a brand new CPU/chipset the hardware support is nearly flawless as long as the laptop isn't from an overly proprietary manufacturer.

I do like performance, and a 2-in-1 form factor, so I went with an MSI Summit. They have cheaper models without discrete GPUs in a smaller form factor.